The Journey Revamped!
by 500yas2har671th
Summary: What if Ash had not gotten Pikachu at the start, but had to catch a different Pokémon? A legendary one?(Not Mew). How would his journey fare? Ash x harem. Chronicles tell anime, but includes certain aspects of the game, plus some AU parts. Starts slowly but improves it's pace later on!
1. Prologue: Shock and Awe

**A/N: I'm writing a Pokemon fanfiction. I'm out of inspiration for my first two stories, so, if anyone wants to adopt them, they're fine to. I hope to finish this at least. I think Ash using legendary Pokemon is cool, so expect him to use them. He starts with one of them! However, since I want to be realistic, at least in Pokemon terms, he'll have to train them well. No Pikachu. I don't dislike him, but I think I'll work better without him. It's Ash x harem. I think I'll include every main girl except for Misty. Also, some others. Slightly Smarter but mainly canon Ash. Rated K for** **kissing**.

Prologue: Shock and Awe

Ash was a little sad. Ok, maybe a bit more than that. You see, he woke up late, and Professor Oak had to tell him that he didn't have any Pokemon that he could give. The starters were all given, and the remaining Pokemon were all too much for a new trainer. So, Ash was given the bad news and ran off unhappily. Professor Oak felt sorry for him, but he couldn't do anything about it. Ash would just have to wait for a while longer to start.

Meanwhile, Ash himself was contemplating his next move. He was angry and sad. Now, he'd have to wait for Arceus knows how long to get a Pokemon. Gary Oak, Professor Oak's grandson and Ash's rival, who teased him at every opportunity and boasted about his own skill, would be far ahead of him by the time he started. Ash would take a while to catch up, and he mightn't be able to. It distressed him very much.

Ash, however, was nothing if not determined. He decided he would look for a Pokemon himself, and not wait. He was also rash and headed into the forest with just a Pokeball.

'I'll catch one on my own! This will prove my skill and I'll be able to start." he thought.

Ash was also very kind. He would never force any Pokemon to join him. He was also very friendly with Pokemon, and would treat any of them with kindness and some respect. So, any Pokemon he found, he would ask it if it wanted to join him and be his partner and friend.

Ash looked for 20 minutes. He was getting more pessimistic and bored. "This sucks. Will I be able to find any Pokemon?" he thought. He was a little disheartened, but he perked up on hearing a rustling behind him

"A Pokemon! Let's see if it wants to be my friend and partner! If not, at least a friend?" With that he braced himself.

Out came a small grey Pokemon with a mischievous glint in its eyes. Those eyes, however, also showed power. The Pokemon had an eerie aura and radiated an odd energy. Ash recognized it from the camp he had attended as ghostly energy.

He approached it slowly. The Pokemon appeared to be scrutinizing him. He held his hands open to show he meant no harm, then talked to it.

"Hey there. My name is Ash Ketchum. I am an aspiring trainer, and want to be a Pokemon Master, the greatest of them all! But, I need a friend for this. I need a Pokemon to fulfil my dream. A Pokemon to act as my starting companion and be my friend in every way. I want a friend for the journey, as I'll never be lonely and I'll be able to learn from you. So, can you please be my friend?"

Ash said all this. He didn't mean to say everything, but something told him to tell this Pokemon his attitude towards Pokemon.

Ash always treated Pokemon as his friends. He played with them, had fun with them, trained with them (not much) and took care of them. He was an optimist, and he needed cheering up after the bad news he had received in the morning.

So, he was cheered up when the Pokemon nodded it's head. Then, he heard something in his head. He was startled.

'Hello, Ash Ketchum. I am Marshadow! I really like your attitude and nature. I also think you have a great goal! I haven't seen so much honesty from a trainer in quite a while. I can tell you will work hard towards the goal, and that you have a good heart, from the way you treated the wild Pokemon! I'll gladly become your friend. This will be a great relationship, I can tell!'

Ash, still in shock, asked, "Is that you, Marshadow?" Pointing to the Pokemon in front of him.

'Yes, that's me. I am using telepathy! I can use it.'

"Wow! That's awesome! Allow me to catch you, Marshadow." Ash said. At a nod from the Pokemon, Ash threw a Pokeball at it. It hit him, and pinged red instantly, showing Marshadow's lack of resistance.

"All right! I caught a Marshadow!" He said, in celebration. He let it out, and said,

"Let's go! I just need to get my Pokedex and Pokeball from Professor Oak, and we can start! I think this is going to be a great adventure!"

Ash ran off to Professor Oak's Lab with a happier face than when he had left. After all, he was starting with a unique Pokemon not used as a starter.

At Professor Oak's Lab:

"You caught a Pokemon? A Marshadow? I've never heard of that Pokemon…" Professor Oak said.

"Professor, I'll show him to you later! I'm already behind Gary, please give my Pokedex and Pokeballs so I can start quickly!"

Professor Oak chuckled. It seems that Ash is always impatient. He nodded and gave it to him. He watched Ash run off with a "Goodbye, Professor!" He would have liked to have seen Marshadow, but he supposed he could wait. He didn't force Ash because he felt guilty that Ash couldn't get his starter from him. He would talk to him on the videophone later.

"Say, Ash!? I'll keep in touch. Don't forget to call your mother!" Oak shouted, knowing that Ash was often forgetful. Ash smiled sheepishly at this; he'd quite forgotten about that, and was glad for the reminder. He nodded and ran out.

Ash, as he went out, smiled brightly. This would be an amazing adventure! As he walked, he saw an orange bird with a multicolored tail, which was creating a rainbow trail. He looked at it in amazement. He took out his Pokedex to try and see what Pokemon it was. But, the Pokemon was out of his sight by then. He sighed in disappointment, but continued with a smile regardless.

 **A/N: I used Marshadow as his starter as it is legendary and is very unused. It is also very rarely seen, so I thought it would be cool if Ash were one of the people to see him and own him too! Also, I have the explanation for Ash's Pokedex being able to scan Marshadow, despite Professor Oak not knowing about Marshadow. It is because that Pokedex came from Alolan, and arrived only yesterday, not giving the Professor enough time to study all the Pokemon.**


	2. The Meeting

**A/N: Chapter 2 of my new story: The Journey Revamped! Ash gets another legendary later, but here, he uses Marshadow. I will be skipping some parts of the anime as it will be the same as canon in some ways, but I will show how an Ash with Marshadow along with some more intelligence would do. Anyway, read on! A familiar character is introduced in this chapter…**

"Hello." Human speech/ Pokemon's cry.

'What's up?' Human thoughts/Telepathic speech

" **I won!"** Pokespeech

 **'Yeah, he did.'** Pokemon thoughts

Chapter 1: The Meeting

Ash walked on the route in the forest. He saw a group of Spearow, a bird like Pokemon. He read it's info in the Pokedex.

' _Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. It eats bugs in grassy areas and has to flap its short wings at high speed to stay airborne.'_

"Oh, that seems cool. Let's see, this is a good test of Marshadow!" Ash said. He decided to catch it.

"Marshadow, come on out!"

Marshadow came out after emitting a cry. The Pokemon stared at Spearow.

"Alright, Marshadow, use Shadow Sneak!"

Marshadow nodded his head, then sent a shadow behind the Spearow. The shadow suddenly hit the Spearow, causing it to cry in pain. It then glared at Marshadow. The Spearow rushed at it at a high velocity, it's beak glowing white.

"Marshadow, dodge and use Thunder Punch!"

Marshadow moved out of the way of Spearow's attack in time, and hit it in the back with its tiny grey fist glowing yellow with electricity crackling on it. The Spearow cried out louder, in distress.

What happened next was mayhem. A whole flock of Spearow appeared and rushed at Ash. Ash took one look at the situation, recalling what had happened when he scanned Marshadow.

 _Flashback:_

 _Ash, after capturing Marshadow, let him out of the Pokeball to scan it with his Pokedex and get info on him._

 _'Marshadow, the Gloomdweller Pokemon. Its existence is the stuff of myth. It almost never appears before humans, and is able to conceal itself using shadows. This Marshadow is male, and has the ability Technician. It currently knows the moves Assurance, Laser Focus, Thunder Punch, Shadow Sneak, Counter and Pursuit. Marshadow is a Ghost and Fighting type Pokemon.'_

 _After hearing that, Ash was ecstatic. He'd gotten a Legendary Pokemon as his friend and starter! He'd caught a Legendary! That too, one which almost never appeared before humans. Marshadow must really have liked his personality and his actions to have revealed himself. Right then, Ash made a promise._

 _"Marshadow, I will not disappoint you. I will ensure you have made the right choice in coming with me as a friend. I swear that I will train with you and all my future Pokemon to make them achieve their dreams as well as mine. I will work hard. To ensure that we are the best. This is a promise!" He said, with uncharacteristic seriousness._

 _Then, his face broke into a goofy grin and he spoke again, "Last one to the forest is a rotten egg!" He ran off, with Marshadow following him._

 _End Flashback_

'Since Marshadow is a Ghost and Fighting type, he won't be good against all these Spearow. Nor does he have any ranged attack capable of chasing them away. So, we should…' he thought.

"Run!" He said out loud, finishing his thought vocally. Marshadow and him both started running away as the Spearow gave chase. The Spearow were gaining on them, and Ash and Marshadow couldn't keep running. Marshadow then turned to Ash, and telepathically said, " _Brace yourself, Ash!"_

He jumped on Ash's shoulder and suddenly they both disappeared. The Spearow looked around, confused and gave out their battle cries. However,after a few moments, they gave up and flew away. After the last of them were gone, Ash and Marshadow reappeared from the shadow of the tree. Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great job, Marshadow! Thanks to you, we lost them! That was awesome!" He said, enthusiastically. While Marshadow was legendary, he was untrained and usually hid, so he wasn't very experienced either. However, he had a lot of power and potential as he had trained himself a little bit in the shadows. Ash knew that he and Marshadow would need to train, practise and work hard and then battle to get experience.

Ash continued on the road a little, then saw a red haired girl of around his age, probably older. Wearing a sleeveless yellow top with blue denim shorts. She was fishing and her bicycle was on a nearby tree. The forest near Pallet Town had a river with a lot of Water type Pokemon. This girl was apparently looking for Pokemon.

Ash decided not to disturb her, but was a little tired, so decided to start training here.

"Marshadow! Let's work on your speed and long range moves. We'll keep your strength as a later priority, since you obviously have quite a bit of that."

Ash started training by telling Marshadow to run as fast as he could from a tree and back to him. Keep doing this until Ash stopped him or until he gets too tired to continue. Marshadow assented and started.

After 15 minutes, he was fatigued. Ash looked at him with concern, but also with joy.

"Great work, Marshadow. Now, rest for a while." Ash let him rest. He decided to keep Marshadow out unless he enters a city or a town. Despite Marshadow being Alolan and mythical, several of the populace might try to steal him or may recognize him. So, Ash would take precautions. He wasn't as dumb as most people thought. True, Ash wasn't exactly the brightest, but, he wasn't dumb. He won't allow anybody to take his Pokemon.

Ash knew that he'd have to reveal Marshadow eventually. To the Gym Leaders, for example. But, he knew they wouldn't tattle to anyone about his Pokemon. So, he would take as many precautions as necessary until it becomes superfluous.

 **Half an hour later:**

"Marshadow, I think we should start with you learning a ranged move. So, from what the Pokedex says, I think we should begin by having you learn Focus Blast. Apparently, you have to first focus your mind and concentrate the energy of your body into a physical shape, then send it to attack. That means you should begin by calming yourself then concentrating."

'Ok, Ash! I'll do my best!' Marshadow replied cheerfully. It then began by concentrating.

After 20 minutes, in which Ash gave him advice on how to focus, Marshadow produced a small blue orb of energy. Ash cheered and congratulated him. He also encouraged him to keep trying to make it bigger. Then, practice aiming it and throwing it.

Marshadow diligently practised it, trying to form it quicker. He finally succeeded in reducing the formation time and increasing its power and size. He finally threw it. Just then, disaster struck.

The Focus Blast hit the bicycle of the red haired girl, who was very drowsy and almost asleep. The blast woke her up and she looked around frightfully. She looked at her bi- well, what used to be a bicycle. The Focus Blast had completely wrecked it. It was in three big pieces.

"My bike!" She yelled, understandably upset by the destruction of her only transport. She looked around and found a sheepish looking Ash and an unknown (to her, at least) Pokemon with him. Being human, she reacted in the expected manner.

"You guys destroyed my bike, didn't you!? Now how will I get around? And what are you going to do about it?" The girl shouted, pretty rapidly and angrily.

Ash raised his hands placatingly. "No need to get violent. It was an accidental. I'm truly sorry that this happened. I should've checked the area before training. Also, I don't see what I can do about it?... He said, wondering if the girl would again shout at him. He was indeed correct.

"Well, you'll have to repay the cost of the bike! That way, I can buy a new one!" The girl said.

Ash nodded, it seemed to be a good idea. "That's fine with me, but I don't have the money right now. I'll repay you later." Ash said. He was fair, and would not allow himself to walk away without doing anything. It was his fault, too.

"How do I know that you'll actually pay me back? You might just be leaving to escape! No, I'll be accompanying you till you can repay me." The girl replied. Ash sighed. He tried, but this girl wasn't half as nice as he was to her. He understood her problem, but felt that he'd already given her his assurance that he'll repay.

"What's your name? I'm Ash." Ash said, pretending to concur.

"My name is Misty."

"Well, Misty, I think that won't work. You see, I can't pay you back right now, so you should really not follow me, as I won't give anything to you right now. So, buzz off!" With that, Ash went on without looking back. Misty fumed and waited. After a few seconds, she followed him, attempting (and failing) to hide. Ash groaned. He thought everything was fine, but this was a rough start.

Despite a rocky start, it appears that Ash's journey is taking off. A new unwanted guest and training started for his Pokemon. What will he do next? Only time will tell.

 **About 10 minutes later:**

Ash entered the city on the route, Viridian City. Misty was following him with the subtlety of an angered Gyarados. Ash had decided to ignore her for now. He was more interested in getting his first Gym Badge. He was here to check in at the Pokemon Center and call his mother.

In the city, there was a blue haired woman. This was Officer Jenny. They were the police women of the Regions. She appeared to be giving an announcement.

"Attention, everybody! There are Pokemon Poachers on the prowl! Possibly in Viridian City. Stay alert and make sure to keep all your Pokemon safe. Take all precautions possible. Make sure to alert us in case you spot them!" With that, the Officer prepared to continue her rounds.

"Excuse me, Officer Jenny, where's the Pokemon Center?" Ash asked.

The Officer looked at him. "Oh, it's right over there." She pointed in a direction, which Ash took and ran off, with a hurried "Thanks, Officer Jenny!"

At the Pokemon Center, Ash asks, "Hey, Nurse Joy, can you take a look at my Pokemon?"

Nurse Joy assented. After a check up, she told him that his Pokémon was in prime condition. Ash then confronted Misty.

"Misty, I told you once that I'll inform you when I get the money. Why don't you go back to whatever you like doing and leave me alone?"

"Until you repay me for my bike, I will be accompanying you!" She affirmed, then asked, "Why're you here when your Pokémon are all right?"

"I need to call my mother. She'll want to know how far I've gotten."

Ash decided to call Professor Oak first. As Professor Oak picked up and activated the wrong camera at first, before activating the correct one. Ash told him about his encounter with the unknown golden bird Pokémon. The Professor was sceptical, which annoyed Ash. He then narrated the rest of the incidents. Oak laughed at the Focus Blast incident, and was relieved that Ash and Marshadow escaped the Spearow. Ash then ended the call, forgetting to call his mother.

Just then, an alarm sounded in the Pokemon Center, and three figures entered. Two of them were human sized, and the other was too small to be human. The two humans took out Poke Balls and broke a skylight. A Koffing came out and filled the air with smoke, blocking everybody's vision temporarily.

The three proceeded to start speaking,

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

A pink haired woman and a purple haired man (both pretty young) wearing a top and a shirt respectively with a capital R were revealed. It was logical to assume that the woman was Jessie and the man was James. The small figure was a bipedal cat like Pokemon. The shocking fact was that it was the one who spoke the last line. A talking Pokemon that doesn't use telepathy was unheard of. Ash took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the Pokemon.

' _Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokemon. Adores circular objects. Wanders the streets on a nightly basis to look for dropped loose change."_

Ash was amazed at the fact that these people (Team Rocket) had a talking Meowth. Just then, he heard Jessie speak.

"Now, be good and hand over all your Pokémon. We'll be taking them."

"Or else, the consequences will be nasty." James said.

Ash was shocked and angry at this. These were the Pokemon Poachers! They were thieves. He shouted back, "Never!"

"Oh look, it's a twerp who wants to be heroic." Jessie said. "Well, I think that we'll forcibly take your Pokemon. Ekans, come on out!"

The purple snake Pokemon revealed itself and hissed at them.

"Use Wrap!" The Ekans rushed at the injured Pokemon to capture them. Nurse Joy was both scandalised and frightened. Ash was enraged by this.

"Marshadow, use Shadow Sneak!"

His Marshadow assented and sent the attack. It hit Ekans who was knocked back. It lifted it's head and glared at Marshadow.

"Koffing, use Sludge!"

Koffing sent a black colored liquid at them from its mouth.

"Dodge and use Thunder Punch!"

Marshadow dodged the Sludge with incredible speed and charged up electricity on one of its hands. It closed in on Koffing with blinding speed and hit it. Koffing was thrown down, with crackling electricity around it.

"Ekans, use Poison Sting!"

"Koffing, use Tackle!"

Both of them charged at Marshadow. Marshadow waited for a command from Ash.

"Marshadow, let them hit you!" Ash said, surprising them.

"What is the twerp doing? He's letting his Pokemon take damage?" Jessie said, perplexed.

"It doesn't matter, that's his loss and our gain!" James said.

While Marshadow had his doubts, he looked and saw in Ash's eyes that he had a plan and that he wouldn't enjoy Marshadow taking a hit at all. Ekans stuck Marshadow, who was barely fazed due to his resistance to Poison type attacks. Koffing, on the other hand, didn't even damage him, although it's attack hit him, much to Team Rocket's confusion.

"Now! Use Counter!"

Jessie stared in horror as Marshadow's body glowed red and the Poison Sting was sent back at them both with double the damage. It caused a small explosion, blasting Ekans and Koffing back and disorienting them.

"While they're recovering, use Assurance!"

Marshadow's hands glowed and he charged at the opponent Pokémon, damaging them heavily. A small dust cloud rose.

"Finish them off with Focus Blast!" Ash said, eager to end this fight.

Marshadow charged up the blue attack, then sent it at Team Rocket and their Pokémon. A big explosion occurred, which cleared to show Team Rocket soaring into the sky with their Pokémon.

"Looks like Team Rocket is blasting off!" They all said while disappearing into the sky.

Ash was relieved; he had won his first Pokemon battle and stopped some Poachers on the way as well. That was a plus in his books.

"We did it, Marshadow! We took them down! You did well, buddy." Ash said, smiling. However, the Pokemon Center was pretty much busted. The Focus Blast had also ignited Koffing's explosive gases, causing a huge explosion that blasted Team Rocket off and also destroyed much of the Pokémon Center.

Ash and Marshadow decide to camp out and sleep. A rest was needed after such an action packed day. Before sleeping, Ash let Marshadow out.

"Marshadow, hide yourself in the shadows and rest. I don't want you to be stolen, plus you'll get to experience the fresh air and freedom while sleeping." Ash said, then went to sleep as Marshadow telepathically assented and melted in the shadows.

 **A/N: These 2 chapters have chronicled the 1st and 2nd episode, albeit with the changes that would obviously occur. The reason Ash was so rude to Misty is because he's just 10 years old and was irritated that she would not accept his solution. Being a kid, he's blunt, although he's kind. The next chapter: Ash catches his next Pokemon! What do you guys think I should give him? I'll be putting a poll**


	3. Ash's Next Catch and a Challenge!

**A/N: Here's chapter 3! I have pre written most of my chapters. I'll be uploading slowly; but I'll be writing. Of course, Ash needs another Pokémon besides Marshadow, so I'll be giving him one. A legendary, perhaps. Then again, maybe not. Hey, the reason the Pokedex could scan Marshadow was because there was an old drawing of it in its database, which is similar to Marshadow. After all, it's appearance has to have been recorded in history, as it had to show itself sometimes. Oh, well, with this, I'll be speeding through certain episodes. The story picks up the pace in this chapter. Both episode 3 and 4 are covered, although with several noticeable changes. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Ash's Next Catch and a Challenge!

Ash wandered into Viridian forest with Marshadow and Misty followed him. She occasionally made conversation, with an unwilling yet excited Ash. Ash was excited as he knew that there were a lot of wild Pokémon in this forest. He couldn't wait to catch his next Pokémon. In contrast, Misty was frightened and unhappy, because she was scared of all Bug type Pokemon. However, she didn't tell this to Ash.

Suddenly, a rustling noise was heard. Misty jumped and ducked behind Ash, shaking in fear. Ash looked at the source of the sound and spotted a Butterfree. Misty immediately gave a small shriek of fear and gripped Ash's backpack.

"I hate bugs! Please do something, Ash!" She closed her eyes.

"Alright." Ash said, trying to placate her as well as having a chance to catch another Pokémon!

"Go, Marshadow!"

On appearing, Marshadow deadpanned and looked at Ash.

'Why'd you call me for something so weak?' he said.

"That's because it's a Pokemon, and any Pokémon can be strong if trained enough, Marshadow! Plus, you need to battle a Pokemon to weaken it. And, you're the only one I have."

'Okay, I'll fight. This shouldn't be hard.' Marshadow replied.

"Be careful, Butterfree has the type advantage as it has the Flying type." Ash warned, while pulling his Pokedex to scan Butterfree.

'Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokémon. One week after Caterpie evolves into Metapod, it again evolves into Butterfree.'

"Marshadow, start with Shadow Sneak!"

Marshadow sent a shadow, extending from his own, towards Butterfree and attacking it. The shadow hit Butterfree, causing it to look in the attack's direction as well as damaging it.

The Butterfree sent a strong wind with glowing round objects at Marshadow. Marshadow maintained its ground, while it struggled a little.

"Use Assurance!" Marshadow rushed at Butterfree and hit it it hard, knocking it out, it body surrounded by black energy during impact.

"Go, Poke ball!" The Poke ball hit Butterfree, causing it to go inside, while struggling, as evident from the ball shaking and glowing red. However, the struggle ceased quickly.

"Alright, I caught a Butterfree!" Ash shouted triumphantly.

"Did you see that, Misty? Wanna look at it? Surely you're not afraid of a Butterfree in its Poke ball, are you?" He said, holding out the Poke ball to her.

"No, keep that bug away from me! Bugs bug me even in their Poke balls!" She shouted, terrified.

"Ok…" he said, sweat dropping.

"Butterfree, come on out!" Ash said. Butterfree revealed itself with a cry. Ash took out his Pokedex to check its moves and ability.

'This Butterfree is female and has the ability Compound Eyes. It knows the moves Gust, String Shot, Tackle, Psybeam, Silver Wind, Harden, Sleep Powder, Poison Powder and Safeguard.'

"That's a good set. Nothing a little training won't improve." Ash said, impressed. Misty meanwhile, was cowering behind Ash again.

"Ee-free!" the Butterfree cried, approaching Misty curiously. Misty jumped away from it in fear.

"Ash! Please recall that slimy thing. I can't take it anymore! After all, bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!"

"You're being rude, Misty. Butterfree has feelings too, you know. Besides, what are the three disgusting things? Besides you, of course." Ash said, both scoldingly and sarcastically.

"Very funny. Carrots, peppers and bugs. Everyone has their dislikes and I happen to dislike bugs." Misty said snarkily.

"Alright. Butterfree, return." Ash said, recalling Butterfree to her Poke ball, while she looked at him mournfully.

Ash sighed and turned to Misty. "Your behavior isn't very nice, you know. You're hurting the feelings of Pokémon, as well as being irritating."

"Well, excuse me for disliking bugs. I just react instinctively when I see one."

Ash sighed at her counter argument and turned to continue his journey. "Don't come with me. I don't want to travel with such a hurtful person."

Misty, however, still wanted to follow Ash to make sure that he repaid for her bike. So she did so.

Ash spotted her and looked at her. She quickly ducked behind a tree. Of course, that didn't work.

"Why are you following us?"

"My bike! I'm holding you responsible for my bike!"

"When are you going to get over that dumb bike?" Ash said bluntly.

"For your information, you were the one who destroyed my bike with your Pokémon's attack. So, I would say you're the dumb one here!" She retorted.

"I already told you I'd make good of your bike one day. Besides, why follow me if I'm so dumb?"

Misty denied following him, claiming that the path he was walking on was the fastest way out of the woods.

"Fine! Do whatever you want!" Ash said, irritated.

"That's exactly what I'm doing right now!" She said, equally irked.

It got dark pretty quickly in the forest and Ash decided to set up camp. Marshadow, who had been out the whole time, pitched in with his hands. Ash brought Butterfree back out.

"All right, Butterfree, you can sleep outside." Ash said, having set up the sleeping bag. Misty also set up near him. Ash had by now rid himself of the notion that she would leave, as it was obvious she wanted her bike replaced, and wouldn't leave until she got what she wanted.

"We'd better get some sleep as tomorrow is going to be a big day, guys!" Ash said enthusiastically. Of course, Misty put a damper on his joy.

"We all could sleep if somebody could shut their big mouth!" Misty said, from a short distance.

"Hmph. Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Ash retorted sarcastically, then turned around. Tomorrow was going to be a big day after all, so he decided to sleep.

Little did he know, tomorrow would be bigger than he could have imagined.

 **In the morning:**

Ash was woken up rudely by a scream from Misty, who was apparently startled by something.

"What is it?! Did something happen?!" Ash said, temporarily frightened.

 **(A/N: Same as canon, just substitute Butterfree and Marshadow for any mentions of Caterpie and Pikachu respectively)**

Ash was getting more ticked off and it took nearly all his patience to stop himself from retaliating to Misty's hurtful comments. He was in fact ready to retort when a flapping of wings and a strong wind caught his attention and he turned in its direction. What he saw amazed him.

A bird Pokémon, yellow in color and having spiky wings, was flying. It was a fast flyer, too. Ash was awestruck by its look and even more shocked by the Pokedex entry.

'Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon. Zapdos has both Electric and Flying elements and the flappage of its wings can create lightning.'

Ash was awed, as he knew Zapdos was a legendary Pokémon. For him to run across a wild one in Viridian Forest was a very lucky happening. However, he was wary of Zapdos' power as it was a very strong Pokémon. It didn't have legendary status for nothing, after all. However, Marshadow was also legendary. He was also a powerhouse, after all. Ash knew that he should fight and try to catch it, no matter how strong Zapdos was. Any trainer always tries to catch wild Pokémon, after all.

"Marshadow, let's try to catch that Zapdos! We'll first make sure it doesn't flee. Use Laser Focus, then use Focus Blast to get its attention!"

Marshadow acknowledged his trainer's commands, and closed his eyes, covering his body with a red glow. Then, he created a ball of concentrated power, and jumped up. In mid-jump, he released at the rapidly flying Zapdos. He managed to just hit it with the powerful attack, causing Zapdos to turn its head at Ash and Marshadow, with a surprised cry.

Zapdos narrowed its eyes, accepting the unspoken challenge. It actually looked excited at the prospect of a thrilling battle. Misty was watching all this with a gaping mouth. She was shocked at Zapdos' appearing at all, and at the fact that Ash, a beginner, was actually challenging it and managed to excite it for a battle.

Zapdos' shot out a large blast of electricity heading for Marshadow with incredible speed. Marshadow only just managed to dodge the powerful Thunder attack. The attack caused a big explosion, forcing Ash and Misty to cover their eyes and stand more firmly to avoid getting blown by the shockwave generated.

"Alright Marshadow, use Shadow Sneak, and put a lot of power into it!" Marshadow performed the attack by sending his shadow towards Zapdos' with blinding speed. Zapdos managed to dodge it, however. Ash looked shocked at that, but grinned, having made a plan.

Zapdos sent a strong thunderbolt at Marshadow. Ash instantly grew worried and intervened.

"Marshadow, use Ice Punch! Quickly use the Thunderbolt as cover to hide yourself and hit it." Ash said, glad that Marshadow had learnt how to use Ice Punch yesterday.

Marshadow waited, and jumped just as the Thunderbolt crashed into the ground, creating a large explosion. The smoke covered the whole area for a few seconds. As Zapdos looked for it's opponent, Marshadow appeared with incredible speed and a glowing blue hand. He hit Zapdos', causing Zapdos to take a lot of damage as Marshadow applied a lot of force to his attack, as well as Ice Punch being a super effective move.

"Quick, use Focus Blast and jump back!" Ash commanded, taking advantage of Zapdos' disorientation from the Ice Punch.

Marshadow capitalized on this as well and charged a huge ball, and hit Zapdos at point blank range, while using the explosion's force to proper himself backward. Ash didn't want to let up on the pressure he was applying to Zapdos and decided to prepare Marshadow.

"Use Laser Focus!" Marshadow nodded and steadied himself while covering himself with a red glow. Zapdos seized this opportunity to attack and sent a very strong thunderbolt at Marshadow. He couldn't dodge in time and took the brunt of the powerful attack. He was a little tired out and injured due to the power of Zapdos' attack.

"Now! Use Assurance!" Ash said, wincing from the high damage of the Thunder.

'Alright, Ash.' Marshadow said, speaking telepathically for the first time this battle, proving how seriously he was taking this battle.

Marshadow charged at Zapdos, who was a little tired at having used a lot of power as well as having sustained quite some damage. As such, Zapdos couldn't dodge the attack, whose damage was doubled due to Marshadow having been hurt earlier.

Zapdos gave a cry of pain as it took more damage. Ash capitalized on Zapdos' fatigued state. Zapdos hadn't really used too much of its power, but it had taken a lot of damage from the powerful Focus Blasts as well as the Ice Punch.

"Use Ice Punch again, Marshadow! Then, run away!" Ash said, not wanting Marshadow to take too much damage. He was also showing signs of tiredness.

Marshadow didn't reply, letting his glowing blue fist do the talking. Zapdos fell down, not defeated but temporarily overwhelmed by the damage. Ash jumped excitedly; this was it!

"Zapdos, you're mine! Go, Poke ball!" Ash shouted happily, throwing a Poke ball at the legendary bird.

The Poke ball hit, opened and a red light sucked Zapdos inside. The Poke ball wobbled a little, glowing red on its button for a moment before becoming still. At this, the shock was a little too much for Ash, as he started down to wrap his head around the events.

'I've caught a Zapdos! On my second day of training! This is like a dream. In fact, I'm afraid that I'm dreaming right now. If I'm not, then…' Ash thought, in shock, then jumped up triumphantly.

"Alright! I caught a Zapdos!" He said, celebrating. "You were excellent, Marshadow. I can't tell how happy I am and how pleased I am with you! Let's celebrate! I'm the greatest!" Ash said, his feat getting to his head a little. Mostly, though, he was just exuberant. Who wouldn't be after catching two legendary Pokémon just two days into their journey?

Misty was temporarily catatonic; the events she just witnessed being too much for her brain to handle. She roused herself on hearing Ash boast. She wanted to rebut his claim, but didn't have any ground to do so, after having seen him challenge a Zapdos, and catch it too! She was now awed by Ash's quick thinking in a battle.

"Hey, Marshadow, return. I'll take you to a Pokémon Center to get healed. You were brilliant. Take some rest."

'Alright, Ash.' He said, welcoming the reprieve.

Misty decided not to speak for once, not wanting to accidentally say something she didn't mean. She however, was determined to follow him for her bike. She was obstinate on that point.

"Right, Misty, what do you think now? I caught a Zapdos. Does that change your mind of me being an idiot with no brain?" Ash said, challengingly. Incredibly enough, Misty nodded.

"It changes my mind a little bit. I still think you're a too arrogant and charge rashly, but I accept that you're not as much of an idiot as I thought." She said, still maintaining a condescending attitude as she was pretty stubborn.

"Hey! I'm not an idiot! This battle should have proved that!" He said, annoyed. Unfortunately, his voice got the attention of some unwanted visitors. A high pitched laugh brought their attention to three shadowy figures, two human sized and one Pokémon sized. (Small Pokémon sized)

"So, we meet again." A familiar male voice said.

"I know that voice…" Ash said.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples in our nation."

It was Team Rocket! And they were reciting their motto! Much to Ash and Misty's dismay, the Pokémon thieves continued with their motto. Ash didn't want to reveal Zapdos as he was much more famous in all regions than Marshadow. But Marshadow was resting. So, if he fought them, he'd have to use Butterfree. Misty's thought process was similar to Ash's on the matter. She, was more concerned, as she had only Water type Pokémon, which wouldn't be of much use unless they could battle outside of water.

"We have decided to take your Pokemon. It is pretty powerful and will be a good addition." James said.

"Hand it over, and there'll be no problems." Jessie said, clearly unaware of the Pokémon's name. Ash was slightly comforted by that. However, he still had to battle, and hoped that Butterfree would be enough to handle Team Rocket in case they fought. Ash would try to dissuade them first. He didn't want to fight these guys again.

"Hey, try and get your own Pokémon. This one's mine." Ash said.

"Not a chance, that one's especially powerful, and so it's the only one we want." Jessie refuted.

At this point, Team Rocket got into an intense internal argument over the apparent 'revelation' of their 'methods'. The scene was comical, with Ash and Misty sweat dropping at the scene. After that, Team Rocket turned their attention back to Ash and Misty.

"Surrender you Pokémon and make this easier." Jessie said, more impatient.

"No way!" Ash said stubbornly.

"You leave us no choice, then. Pokémon battle!" Jessie said. "Ekans, come on out!"

"Koffing, come out!" James said, also summoning a Poison type Pokemon.

'Ekans!' 'Koffing!' The Pokémon cried, ready for battle.

"Two against one! That's not fair!" Ash said, disgusted by the thieves' dirty tactics.

"Well, as they say, all's fair in love,war and Pokémon battles." Jessie said condescendingly.

"I say that that saying's rotten and so are you!"

"Of course. We're the bad guys." James spoke calmly.

"Alright then, Butterfree, come out!" Ash said, bringing out his second Pokémon.

'Ee-free!' she cried. Ash was ready.

"Koffing, use Sludge!" Koffing spat dark brown liquid from its mouth, towards Butterfree.

"Butterfree, dodge it!" Butterfree assented, and barely managed to dodge the attack.

"Alright Ekans, use Poison Tail!" Ekans' tail glowed purple, and it struck Butterfree, who had just dodged Koffing's attack. Butterfree cried out in pain, as it took a hit. Ash looked concerned, as did Misty.

"Are you okay, Butterfree?" Ash asked. He got a nod from her.

"Alright, use Silver Wind to distract them!" Butterfree flapped her wings and stirred wind with silver colored lights in ot. It struck Koffing and Ekans, causing them to back up a little and cry out.

"Right, now use String Shot to trap them!" Ash cried. Butterfree shot out a silklike string and covered Ekans with it. Ekans' was trapped and couldn't escape. However, Koffing dodged. James smirked at that.

"Koffing, use Clear Smog!" Koffing opened its mouth and unleashed a cloud of white smog on Butterfree, temporarily disorienting her and causing damage at the same time.

"Butterfree! Are you okay?" Ash asked. This time he was a bit more concerned. Butterfree nodded again, despite her obvious discomfort.

"Alright, use Psybeam on Koffing!" Butterfree shot out a rainbow colored beam from her face and hit Koffing, who fell down from the super effective move.

"Now, use Tackle on them!" Ash directed.

Butterfree charged at the Pokémon, who were helpless due to the attacks they had taken, and were hit, thereby knocking them out.

Jessie, James and Meowth were surprised, but annoyed as well. They recalled Koffing and Ekans' and ran off, to Ash's joy.

"This isn't the last you've seen of us, so get ready. You won't be so lucky next time." James said as a farewell.

"Alright! We just won our second Pokémon battle, guys! I'm stoked!" Ash said, brimming with happiness at having won a battle, as well as from his earlier catch of Zapdos. That reminded him.

"Zapdos, come out!" He said, calling his Pokémon out. Zapdos appeared and gave its signature cry. It looked at Ash respectfully, and it dawned on Ash that Zapdos respected him for having been confident enough to challenge it, despite its status, and even win and catch it.

"Hi, Zapdos, I'm Ash. Welcome to the team! I want to be the greatest master of Pokemon ever, and your going to help me as a friend and partner! What do you say?" Ash said cheerfully.

Zapdos nodded its assent at Ash's wishes, and gave a happy cry. Ash grew excited and smiled. He then asked Zapdos if he wanted to stay outside its Poke ball for a while. Zapdos nodded in agreement, and so Ash and his Pokémon, along with Misty continued into the forest.

Ash took out his Pokedex and pointed it at Zapdos.

'This Zapdos is male and has the ability Lightning Rod and knows the moves Drill Peck, Thunder Shock, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Detect, Ancient Power and Pluck.'

Ash was even happier, if possible, about Zapdos' stats and showed it. "That's an amazing set of moves you've got, Zapdos! With training, we'll be the best in no time!"

Misty looked at Ash in awe. 'He really loves Pokémon. He is truly different. Nobody manages to catch Zapdos, but he does. I think this journey will be one heck of an adventure.'

"Misty! Come on!" Ash said, his attitude taking a 360 degree turn from earlier, due to his triumphs. Misty nodded and followed him on the path.

 **Next day:**

The morning was bright, and Ash had woken up late as usual. He recalled the events of yesterday.

'Man, yesterday was eventful. Not only did I catch two Pokémon, I also trained all of my Pokémon yesterday. I'm glad Marshadow is building his defense and his speed. He even learnt 3 new moves! Zapdos, I think his accuracy and control over his power is getting better. And Butterfree is growing stronger. I think I we're doing great!' He thought, enthusiastically. Misty also woke up in the meantime.

"Alright, let's continue, guys!" Ash said, bringing Marshadow and Zapdos out of their Poke balls and letting Butterfree rest from yesterday's battle. After performing the usual morning routine, Ash and Misty set off deeper into the forest once again. Ash and Misty had come to a truce yesterday and had decided to continue travelling together for a while, at least till Pewter City.

After some walking, Misty fell behind a little. As she was attempting to catch up with Ash, she heaard a rustling in the bushes nearby and went to investigate. She was startled by a sword wielding boy in what appeared to be samurai attire ambushing her. Literally. The sword was pointed at her nose and he was speaking.

"Greetings, Shrieking Maiden. Are you by chance the trainer who comes from Pallet ?"

Frightened by the sword, Misty quickly replied, "No, that's not me!"

"Alas. It appears that my search continues. I would advise you against shrieking like that again. Unless you want to attract a horde of angry Beedrill, of course." He sheathed his sword and walked away, surprising Misty with his words so much that she sank to her knees.

"What a weird kid. I wonder what he wants from the trainer from- hey, that's Ash!" Misty got up immediately on realizing this. 'I need to find Ash before that kid does!'

Ash meanwhile, had stopped and was looking around for Misty. 'Now where'd she go? Don't tell me that she was scared off by another bug.'

Ash just then heard a voice and turned to see the same kid that Misty had seen.

"Greetings. Are you the trainer who comes from Pallet?" The boy asked.

Ash was nonplussed, but replied, *Yeah, I'm a trainer from Pallet. Why do you ask?" He wondered if this boy was another thief. Just then he heard Misty shout his name and was even more bewildered then before.

"I have finally found you!" The boy then unsheathed a sword and pointed it at Ash's nose.

"That sword doesn't scare me! You won't get my Pokémon!"

"I am no thief. I am Samurai. I am fearless, sharp and invincible in combat. I have been searching the forest for you!"

"What do you want from me?"

"A Pokémon battle! Let us see who triumphs!"

"Well, you're on!" Ash's competitive spirit getting excited at finally battling another Pokémon trainer.

"Ooh, I like that determination. Let's get on to it!" Samurai replied.

Ash and Samurai sized each other up. Ash threw his Pokémon first.

"Go, Butterfree!" The butterfly Pokémon came out with its signature cry.

"Pinsir, assume battle mode!" Samurai said, bringing out the Bug type with huge pincers.

"Butterfree, use Psybeam!" Butterfree launched the rainbow colored beam at Pinsir. It struck Pinsir, and caused it to take some damage and skid backward.

"Pinsir! Use Tackle!" Pinsir charged at Butterfree and struck her, causing her to go back and cry in pain.

"Butterfree! Are you okay?" Ash asked. Butterfree nodded, although she was weakened.

"Alright, then, Butterfree, use Sleep Powder!" Butterfree sent a stream of bluish powder at Pinsir.

"Pinsir, dodge it!" To Ash's consternation, Pinsir actually dodged the attack.

"Now, use Vice Grip!" Ash was now worried. That wasn't a powerful move, but Pinsir had a lot of strength. Pinsir charged at Butterfree and grasped her in its claws and squeezed. Ash was wondering what to do.

"Butterfree! Use Poison Powder while its gripping you!" Ash said, trying to get Pinsir off Butterfree.

Butterfree sent a stream of purplish powder at Pinsir. Pinsir couldn't dodge and took the attack. It caused Pinsir to wince as the poison damaged it slowly.

"Pinsir! Finish this with Seismic Toss!" Pinsir grabbed Butterfree and tossed her to the ground, knocking her out.

"Butterfree! Return. You did great." Ash said, sighing but still fired up.

"Don't underestimate me." Samurai said.

"Marshadow! Come on out!" Ash said, bringing out the legendary Ghost and Fighting type Pokémon.

"What is that Pokémon? I've never seen it before." Samurai said, amazed by Marshadow.

"This is Marshadow. Now, use Focus Blast!" Ash said. Marshadow launched a blue orb of energy at Pinsir. The attack was so fast that Samurai couldn't counter it and Pinsir was engulfed in an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Pinsir was knocked out and unable to continue battling.

"What power! Pinsir, return. Go, Poke ball!" Samurai said, impressed in spite of himself. His Poke ball released a Metapod.

"Oh, so that's a Metapod!" Ash said, taking his Pokedex out. 'Metapod. The Cocoon Pokémon. Metapod's vulnerable body is surrounded by its hard shell, which protects it while it waits to evolve.'

"So, Metapod has at most one attack, Tackle. Thus, I should end this quickly. Otherwise, it will be boring." Ash said, a touch of arrogance in his tone.

"Don't underestimate Metapod's strength. And don't think you have won yet. Metapod, use Harden!"

"Marshadow, use Fire Punch!" Ash said, smirking. Marshadow covered a hand in flames. The flames were high intensity. Marshadow charged at Metapod, who just sat there helplessly. Seeing the intensity of the flames, Samurai was worried, but couldn't do much about it. Marshadow then hit Metapod, causing it to fly back due to Marshadow's power. Metapod was surrounded by hot orange flames. As the flames died down, the result was clear: victory to Ash.

"Alright, Marshadow! You did it!" Ash exclaimed happily.

'This trainer is indeed powerful. He is in great sync with his Pokémon and is proud of them even if they don't win. I hate to even consider this, but he will probably defeat me.' Samurai analyzed.

Just then, a loud buzzing was heard. It was increasing in amplitude every second. Ash felt a small 'ping' of recognition, but Samurai identified it almost instantly.

"What is that?" Ash asked. Misty gazed anxiously at the horizon.

"A Beedrill swarm approaches. This battle must end. Metapod, return!" Samurai explained, while recalling his Metapod.

"Marshadow, return!" Ash said, concerned about his Pokémon first and foremost as Marshadow was at a disadvantage against so many opponents. He then took out his Pokedex as the Beedrill were now visible.

'Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon.Beedrill fly quickly and attack using poison stingers on their forelegs and tail.'

"Those are dangerous! We'd better flee!" Ash exclaimed worriedly. At Misty's assenting nod, the they ran, taking the same path that Samurai took.

After escaping, in Samurai's cabin:

"That was close!" Ash said, panting for breath. Misty was too winded to speak. Samurai had removed his samurai garb. He was impressed at Ash's concern for his Pokémon. Of course, Ash didn't risk bringing out Zapdos to deal with the Beedrill as he didn't want any unwanted attention. Team Rocket had shown him that he should be careful.

"I think the coast is clear." Misty said, hoping to leave the Viridian Forest quickly.

"Alright, we'd better hightail it to Pewter City. I would, of course, like to finish the battle, Samurai." Ash spoke, revealing his and Misty's itinerary (even if it was temporary).

"Most certainly, trainer. Let the battle continue!"

"Alright, Marshadow, let's show him! Go!" Ash said, bringing his Marshadow out.

'Let's do it! I'm ready when you are!' Marshadow spoke telepathically, issuing the challenge to Samurai, even though he couldn't hear.

"Go, Beedrill!" Samurai said, surprising Ash that he had one.

"Marshadow, use Laser Focus, then

Ice Punch!" Marshadow immediately charged up the red energy of Laser Focus,then charged up the Ice Punch. He then charged at Beedrill.

"Beedrill, dodge it, and use Twineedle!" Samurai commanded, worried at Marshadow's speed and power. However, Beedrill couldn't dodge and was knocked out by the attack, which scored a critical hit.

"Alright, Marshadow! We did it! This means we won our first fair battle!" Ash was hyped at his victory.

Samurai chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Yes, you have won, trainer. This has been a learning experience for me. I cannot get complacent with my Pokémon. Now, I have to leave. Goodbye, maiden! Goodbye, trainer." With that, he jumped with amazing agility on to a tree and disappeared from their sight line.

"That was awesome!" Ash said. "We should get going too. Pewter City won't come to us!" Ash ran off. Misty followed him, vainly shouting at him to slow down.

And so, our heroes continue their journey. Mistakes were made, friendships formed, and Ash has caught two new Pokémon! And now, they're headed off to Pewter City for Ash's first Gym battle.

 **A/N: I thought Zapdos would be cool for Ash, as I debated what other legendary Pokémon to give him. He needs an Electric type, after all. If you ask how Zapdos was defeated so easily, Marshadow's speed is more than Zapdos'. Plus, he hit Zapdos first, and with a critical hit. Don't hate for this! Next will be episode 5 and 6. Sorry that I took so long in updating this story. I'll be irregular in my updates. Thanks for reading! Flames are ignored, by the way.**


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